Bill Bensley

Gardener, fisherman, architect, interior designer, wide-ranging explorer, landscape architect and lover of all things natural, Bill Bensley was hatched in Orange County, California, in 1959, when orange trees grew there. The Harvard graduate was invited to work in Asia by his classmate, Lek Bunnag. “I had a burning desire for adventure, so I left the day after graduation,” he says.

Bensley worked in Hong Kong and Singapore, and in 1989 opened shop in Bangkok. By 1990, he had met his long-term guiding light, Jirachai and started BENSLEY’s Ball branch. With his team of more than 150 talented individuals, Bensley has designed more than 200 resorts, hotels and palaces in 30-plus countries. Despite their success, he still believes BENSLEY’s best work might appear when he grows up.